The Aesthetics of «Sensus» and «Ratio» in Descartes' Philosophy
From the «Compendium musicae» the «Passions of the Soul»
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.14422/pen.v76.i292.y2020.009Keywords:
aesthetics, Descartes, philosophy of music, sensus, ratio, affectsAbstract
In this work I investigate the concepts of sensus (sensation, feelings) and ratio (reason, proportion) en Descartes’ philosophy. I wish to inquire into the possibility of the union of both concepts en the work of art. My analysis begins with the Compendium of music, where I show that some key concepts of the cartesian method are both epistemological and aesthetic in nature. The main problem regarding the union of sensus and ratio depends on the answer to the question about the relation between res cogitans and res extensa, which I discuss in the context of the Passions of the soul. My investigation highlights Descartes’ contribution to the future development of aesthetics in the eighteenth century.
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